From Brazil

Luiz Coelho, of The Wandering Christian, our correspondent from Brazil, has sent me this letter in an email and has given me permission to publish it. The letter is from the Houses of Clergy and Laity of the Episcopal Anglican Church of Brazil.

From the Houses of Clergy and Laity of the Episcopal Anglican Church of Brazil
Open Letter to the President of the House of Deputies - Ms. Bonnie
Anderson - Of The Episcopal Church of USA

Dear Ms. Anderson,

Peace! It is a privilege to me to write to you as your colleague. I am
the President of the House of Clergy and Laity of the Episcopal
Anglican Church of Brazil. As you said in your statement about the
Communiqué from the Primates' Meeting in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, it
has serious implications for the Episcopal Church and the Worldwide
Anglican Communion. First of all, I want to express my support to your
statement concerning this issue.

The decision process in the Anglican Tradition is taken among the
laity, priests and deacons and bishops. The House of Bishops of any of
our provinces does not rule the church alone, and the Primate's
Meeting is just an instrument were the Primates can share their
theological thoughts, pray together and have a consultation
opportunity among themselves.

The Primate's Meetings cannot take final decisions about any kind of
problem or situation, without hearing before and respecting all the
Governance Bodies of each Province or Diocese within the Anglican
Communion. In issuing what is essentially an ultimatum, the Primates
are assuming more authority than is accorded them in our Communion's
current structure and polity.

Before the Windsor Report recommendations can be understood to be 'the
most clear and comprehensive principles' for governing the Communion's
life, our Churches must engage this debate in its member provinces'
General Synods and Conventions, and then at the Lambeth Conference
next year and in the Anglican Consultative Council which will follow
it. As Anglican Episcopalians we cannot sacrifice the gifts we enjoy
as an inclusive church, accepting all people as full members of our
churches, so that we might conform to a doctrinal uniformity that is
anti-natural to our historic identity and experience as an inclusive
church.

The real crisis at the Anglican Communion is not about Human Sexuality
or Sexual Orientation, is about Authority. There is a battle to find
out who has the power at the Anglican Communion. Our Church leaders
should remember that who has the real power is Jesus Christ, and that
His power is grounded in LOVE. Love that respects everyone and all the
different points of view within the Church. As Christian we are not
allowed to deny any kind of support and full membership to people that
want to be part of our churches. It is not by coertion, but with love
that the Anglican Communion will find out the way to solve its present
crisis.

Only through our continued faithfulness to being a Church of
inclusiveness, compassion, shared authority, justice, love and respect
for the dignity of every human being, we will be a witness to the
world. May this Lent be an opportunity for all of us to discern more
deeply God's Word and call to service in this world hungry for justice
and peace.

In Christ,

Revd Luiz Alberto Barbosa
President of the House of Clergy and Laity of the Anglican Episcopal
Church of Brazil

From Luiz:

PS.: During national synods, the House of Clergy and Laity is divided
into two different groups (clergy and laity) which, with the house of
bishops, compose a three-fold chamber which is very similar to the
model Episcopalians have.

The Episcopal Church does not stand alone in it's witness for inclusion in the full life of the church for all baptized members. Thanks be to God.